"So what is Ben now and why is he here? Is he expected to be a mentor to the younger players? I hadn’t noticed that the young players need lessons in how to plunge the knife in their coaches back. Ben is an expert at that. Maybe the youngsters need tutoring on how to complain when they don’t get the ball, even though they have no offensive skills (the kids have skills, Ben doesn’t). Or maybe it’s important at a young age for NBA players to grow a massive chip on their shoulders that’s so big that it can’t be eroded by thousands of fawning fans and a franchise that paid Big Ben handsomely and promoted him prominently.

Maybe the Pistons view this as a public relations move. With the team in a rebuilding mode and expected to struggle again this year, maybe the front office thinks that this will be a way to sell tickets. But I don’t. Do you really think that fans will flock to the Palace to watch a shell of a former player grab four or five rebounds a night, commit four fouls and then yell at his coach when he’s taken out of the game.

Ben WAS a very good player. And the Pistons marketed him brilliantly. He was a key player in winning a title and he benefited from it greatly. But that was five years ago. This feels desperate on both sides. And I predict it will end quietly or badly. I don’t see any way that it ends well."

"We’ve known this was in the works for over a month, though when I asked during summer league, the team denied there was any official agreement. Now, apparently, there is.

Washington should fill Arron Afflalo’s role as a defensive-minded two-guard off the bench, and if he does nothing else but entertain the crowd with his dunks during pre-game warmups, he’ll earn every cent of his salary. The guy’s athleticism is off the charts, even if he plays a little out of control at times and lacks a polished outside shot.

He’s a hard-nosed defender who can get under his opponent’s skin, but from talking with at least one Virginia Tech alum, he’s well-grounded and friendly off the court. In my extremely limited experience dealing with the guy the last two years in Vegas, I’d have to agree. This has absolutely zero bearing on what he brings to the court, but it makes it even easier to cheer for the guy, no?

Washington, 22, has a year of professional ball under his belt — he played for Hapoel Holon in Israel last season — but he’s technically an NBA rookie. With Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko also signing contracts, the Pistons will have four rookies entering the season, which, off the top of my head, might be the most in the league."

"Simon (Swansea, Wales): Are we going to see Jonas Jerebko in action this season? Which position is he more likely to play? I am under the impression we won’t send him to the D-League or to Europe. I thought the Hornets had promised him a place on their roster next season?

Langlois: I believe you’re thinking of the Charlotte Bobcats, who had given Jerebko a promise that they would draft him at 40 and keep him on their roster next season. Jerebko’s agent was calling teams picking immediately ahead of Charlotte dissuading them from choosing his client because of Charlotte’s guarantee of an NBA roster spot. The Pistons took such a call and ignored it. They weren’t promising a roster spot, but they left the draft that night thinking Jerebko was good enough to merit one and have been convinced of that since then. He’ll be in Detroit. It’s possible they’ll give him (and, possibly, Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers, too) some D-League time, but for the most part the Pistons like to keep their players with their NBA team."

"Steven (Ubly, Mich.): Why didn’t we try to push harder to get David Lee instead of Ben Gordon? I know Gordon is a great player and a really great shooter, but Lee could have greatly helped our frontcourt. I think we could have got him for the money we spent on Gordon.

Langlois: Reports of the Gordon signing have varied, but most are for around $11 million a year. If that’s accurate, it would have forced the Knicks to do some scrambling, but I still think they would have found a way to salvage something out of it – either matching the offer outright and keeping Lee or finding a partner for a sign-and-trade deal. I like Lee well enough, but I do think he’s been mythologized to a degree. New York’s system inflates individual numbers. In a more conventional system, Lee would still be a good rebounder, but I’m not sure he’d be No. 3 in the league. People assume, because he’s an elite rebounder, that he’s also a terrific defender; he’s not. And while he improved his mid-range jump shot last year and became an effective pick-and-pop player, his offense is limited. So, yeah, every team in the league would like to have David Lee on the roster – at the right price. It will be interesting to see who have the better career from this point forward, Lee or Charlie Villanueva."

"Emanuel (Toronto): Rashard Lewis has been banned for 10 games due to the use of a banned drug, which means the Pistons play Orlando twice in the opening weeks without Lewis. Hopefully, the young Pistons win both of those games and have their confidence increased. We also play some other teams we can definitely beat in the first few weeks.

Langlois: The Pistons open with three straight lottery teams, but two of those games are on the road, as are nine of their first 13, including a brutal four-game West Coast trip that starts with a back-to-back at the Lakers and Blazers. So any early schedule break is welcome, and the Lewis suspension means an Orlando team already in some transition will be without a major weapon. Those types of breaks usually balance out over the course of the season, but it will be important that the Pistons tread water early in the season in the standings so as they improve the way you would hope a young team with so many new faces might as the season progresses they’ll have a fighting chance to leap ahead of others."

"Griff (Port Huron, Mich.): I know Ben Wallace isn’t the same Big Ben as when he left, but since we have so much offense in the starting lineup what do you think about a lineup of Stuckey, Gordon, Prince, Charlie V and Ben? He can play around 20 to 25 strong minutes a night rebounding, blocking shots and starting the break.

Langlois: I don’t think the intent of bringing him back is to make him a starter, Griff. He’s a terrific insurance policy, though. Until he broke his leg last season, he was quietly having a very nice season for the Cavs. In fact, Wallace was the league leader in plus/minus per 48 minutes last season. One more thing about your starting lineup: Everything the Pistons have said indicates Gordon will be coming off the bench with Hamilton starting, and both of them will get starter’s minutes."

"The East Orange, New Jersey native spent three and a half seasons with the Orlando Magic during his first head coaching appointment, 1993-96, guiding the club to a 191-104 (.647) record. He led the team to three playoff appearances, back-to-back Atlantic Division titles, consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference Finals (1994-95 and 1995-96) and the 1995 NBA Finals. He posted a home record of 122-26 (.824) while with the Magic, including 40 consecutive wins spanning from March 12, 1995, through March 19, 1996. His record over his first three seasons as a head coach (167-79, .679) ranks third in NBA history behind Pat Riley and Phil Jackson and he ranks as the ninth fastest head coach to reach 100 victories, accomplishing the feat in 149 games. Hill coached the Eastern Conference All-Stars at the NBA All-Star Game in 1995."

"It would be silly to expect Ben Wallace to still be in his prime, but don't write this move off: Big Ben can still contribute.

First, the non-statistical arguments: Wallace signed for one year at the veteran's minimum, a very tiny commitment. Yes, his career is winding down at age 35, but he's also kept himself in very good shape, so it's not like 35-year-old Charles Barkley running out there.

"Now, the stats:

The first thing people point to is the fact that his numbers have been way down since leaving Detroit. Yes, so have his minutes. In six years in Detroit, he only played fewer than 35 minutes a game once (his first season as a Piston). In the three years since he left, he's averaged over 35 only once (his first season as a Bull). It's not really fair to compare his 15 rebounds per game when he was playing 39 minutes a night in 2003 to his 6.5 a game in Cleveland last year when he was playing 23 minutes a night last year. Players age, and Ben is no different, but he was still a productive player in Chicago and Cleveland, just not the dominant presence he was in Detroit.

His last two seasons in Detroit, per 36 minutes, he averaged 11.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. In the three seasons since he left Detroit, per 36 minutes, he's averaged 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

Last season, his defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) was 98 for Cleveland. He played in only 56 games due to a broken leg last year, a few short of qualifying for league leaders, but if he did, his 98 rating would have put him fourth in the league. His 16.4 rebound percentage last year would have put him tied for 12th in the league had he qualified.

Sure, those numbers are well below his career marks. But compare Ben's production and minimum contract to some of these other free agents:

Glen Davis: Per-36 averages of 6.6 rebounds and .4 blocks. Defensive rating of 103, 11.2 percent rebounding percentage. He's a better offensive player, but put up really, really bad defensive and rebounding numbers and would have required a multi-year deal in the $3 million a year range to sign.

Rasheed Wallace: Per-36 averages of 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Defensive rating of 103, 13.7 percent rebounding percentage. Also aging. Signed for two years at more than $5 million per.

Now every player on this list is a better offensive player than Ben Wallace, so there is assuredly reasons to sign each beyond just defense. But to think that the Pistons are getting a completely washed up player in Wallace is inaccurate. He is easily their best defensive big and still, at 35 years-old, their best rebounder. The Pistons are going to be a bad defensive team, so Wallace's tendency to freelance on defense won't be a big issue. For the league minimum, it's worth the risk."

Detroit Piston's 10 Most Exciting Games of The 2009-2010 Season
Paul Fournier - Bleacher Report

"Let's take a look at 10 of the most exciting games on their schedule.

1. Wednesday, November 25—Cleveland Cavaliers at DetroitCleveland comes to Detroit with "the Diesel" Shaquille O' Neal and Lebron James, and you can expect a high scoring affair. It will be interesting to watch Detroit head coach John Kuester work against his former boss, Cleveland head coach Mike Brown.

2. Wednesday, January 20—Boston Celtics at DetroitWait, Rasheed Wallace has been sighted. And he's back in the Palace of Auburn Hills. Really? Yes, Really. And here's the kicker, he's playing with Paul Pierce, Keven Garnett, Ray Allen, and the Boston Celtics.Is it time to boo Rasheed or will we cheer him? Well, I'll leave that up to the Piston fans. Expect a sold out-and-loud Palace to see the return of Rasheed in of all things a Celtics jersey.

I'd like to see, just for old times sake, Rasheed get just one technical foul. Just give the referee a "WHAT?!", "AWE MAN!" and throw the basketball into the stands. I won't boo Rasheed. He just too cool. But, the other Celtic players will get an earful.

3. Tuesday, November 17—Detroit at Los Angeles LakersThe Pistons will have their hands full dealing with the defending NBA Champs. Once again, Kobe Bryant will look for ways to get to the hoop against Detroit in the Staples Center.

Detroit will also have to deal with NBA player and rapper Ron Artest. Add Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol too, and it will be another great Pistons vs. Lakers game.

4. Thursday, December 10—Denver Nuggets at DetroitThe last time Denver Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups came to Detroit, you'd think "Elvis" was in concert that night. The arena was so loud when they called Chauncey's name that car alarms in the parking lot were set off.

On this night, Detroit fans will also get to see former Piston Arron Afflalo, along with great forward Carmelo Anthony.

Interesting note that two former Cincinnati Bearcats will be facing each other in Kenyon Martin and Jason Maxiell. And I always like seeing Denver head coach George Karl on the sideline. Some of coach Karl's reactions to foul calls are classic."

"So now that Joe Dumars has tried to rebuild on the fly without sacrificing a Lottery season and rolls out a kinda/sorta new-look Pistons in ‘09-10, he’s left a noticable void: Who is Detroit’s centerpiece?

Rip Hamilton might seem like the logical choice. For the duration of his career in Detroit he’s been their top scorer and a multiple-time All-Star who isn’t totally slowing down at 31 years old. He’s a remaining link to the glory days, but at the same time, that’s what gets in his way. Rip reacted to last season’s changes — the Billups trade, the Iverson pickup, his temporary move to a sixth-man role — like Ray Griffin (”Starting tailback!”) in The Program, and doesn’t seem like he’d be cool moving to fullback anytime soon. Throw in Ben Gordon’s $50 million arrival as just another challenge to Rip’s minutes/shots/status, and he might go into this season looking out for the Team Of Me too much to look out for the Team Of Detroit. (I wouldn’t be surprised if Rip is traded mid-season.) He is the veteran who has the ear of the majority of the roster, though, so he might have to be made the focal point simply to avoid another mutiny against new coach John Kuester.

That brings us to Gordon, the high-profile summer addition who will sell the most jerseys in Detroit and be the immediate face of preseason marketing. But is he the one to lead the Pistons on the court? As nice as BG was in the ‘09 playoffs, he’s still a career sixth man who is a bit limited as a one-note scorer. He’ll hit shots in the fourth quarter and win games for you in crunch-time, but is he the one who gets you to that position in the first place? Gordon is a closer — not necessarily an ace who can pitch a complete game shutout."

In the Central Division Cleveland is king, but after that just about anything can happen. Chicago looked suspiciously like a real NBA team in last year's playoff series against the Celtics, but the division rival Detroit Pistons signed away Chicago's top scorer from the last four seasons. Indiana finally rid themselves of Jamaal Tinsley, and the Bucks brought in a whole bunch of new blood. None of this, however, gives much indication as to how things will shape up in this division by the end of the season.

Some made drastic moves, other stood relatively still, but for the most part the moves these teams are going to make have been made. That means it times to grade these five franchises based on how they fared in the draft, free agency, and trades. We'll start with the youngest of these teams, the Chicago Bulls:

Review: There was no way the Chicago Bulls could (or should) have paid Ben Gordon what the Detroit Pistons paid him, and in that regard letting him walk was a relatively wise decision. However when one considers how many trades the Bulls could've consummated the last few years with Gordon as the centerpiece, getting nothing out of an asset that valuable is extremely frustrating.

The draft was about as average for the Bulls as it could possibly be, and considering Chicago's biggest need was depth down low, specifically an offensive post presence and another rebounder, it seems silly to have passed on DeJuan Blair not once, but twice. Despite that, Johnson has some impressive raw tools and could potentially play a significant role in the rotation.

The smartest thing the Bulls did all summer was leave the rest of the roster alone. There's enough in place there to improve upon last season while also preparing for 2010's free agent class. Other than the draft, there wasn't a whole lot else the Bulls could have really done to acquire new talent. Carlos Boozer, for example, never really seemed to be part of the conversation, though that might change when he becomes a free agent next summer.

Review: You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who can't admit that the trade for Shaquille O'Neal was a significant upgrade, at least on paper. All it cost them was a seldom-used Sasha Pavlovic and an over-the-hill Ben Wallace, and what they got in return was an All-Star center that's going to make this season extremely fun for free-agent-to-be LeBron James. Anything Cleveland has done this summer, they've done to make James happy. If the Cavs win a championship in the meantime, so be it.

There's no guarantee how influential Shaq will be on the court, but the lower-profile pickups for Cleveland will undoubtedly be important pieces to the Cavs' game plan. Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker are fantastic options on the wings and they didn't have to give up anything but money to get them. If O'Neal does in fact come through, the Cavaliers will have added three pieces to a championship-caliber roster that looks even better than last year's, if that's possible.

Review: Bringing back Ben Wallace is a quaint gesture, but let's face it—that move is merely a footnote in the Detroit Pistons' busy offseason. The real noise came early on in the free agency period when GM Joe Dumars spent an inordinate amount of money on Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva—nice players in their own right, but maybe not worth an average of $18 million a season from now through 2014 considering neither one is particularly adept on the defensive end of the floor. Detroit certainly made their splash and got the guys they wanted, but it's not a given that the guys they wanted are going to send the team back to prominence.

Whatever question marks may surround Dumars' decisions in free agency, it certainly looks like he had a good draft, with Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers both showing strong Summer League performances in Las Vegas last month. Even Jonas Jerebko had his flashes of brilliance. Combine that with the addition of role players like Chris Wilcox and the Pistons didn't have too bad an offseason. Retaining Antonio McDyess would've been nice, and trading for Carlos Boozer would've been better, but overall the Pistons got a couple of nice things done this summer.

Review: The Indiana Pacers came into the offseason a fringe playoff team at best, and for the most part that's where they come out of it, too. Replacing Jarrett Jack and Jamaal Tinsley with Earl Watson and Dahntay Jones is essentially a wash, albeit an expensive one. Tinsley's buyout alone cost the team $10.7 million, and that's not including the money they paid him last season just to stay home. Jones may have been overpaid, but Watson came relatively inexpensively, and both those guys were necessary to bulk up the Pacers backcourt. Losing Jack and Marquis Daniels, as well as nagging injuries to Mike Dunleavy, Jr., make those guys absolutely necessary. Both are serviceable, but neither one is going to make a huge impact.

Tyler Hansbrough, on the other hand, could prove to be the surprise of the draft. While some are still skeptical about his ability to play at the NBA level—hence the criticism for Indiana having taken him in 2009's lottery—his play at the Orlando Summer League put him among the top performers of any rookie all summer. He plays hard, plays fundamentally sound, and knows the game. His grade as a rookie is still far from complete, and until he proves he can be a pro it's very hard to label him a sure thing. Perhaps a more worthwhile gamble than some expected, but still quite far from Rookie of the Year.

Review: Here San Antonio, take Richard Jefferson. We don't want him, and we really don't even need anything significant in return. Thanks, and enjoy your trip to the Western Conference Finals, courtesy of us, the Milwaukee Bucks

Facetious? Sure, but it's very hard to believe that Kurt Thomas, Bruce Bowen, and Fabricio Oberto were the best the Bucks could do for a player of Jefferson's caliber. That one was almost as bad as Kwame Brown-for-Pau Gasol.

Signing Hakim Warrick was a smooth move, though, and Brandon Jennings could very well be the best point guard prospect in this draft class (at least if Rubio stays overseas). Fellow rookie Jodie Meeks can score the ball in bunches, and Amir Johnson was got in trade for almost nothing. It wasn't all grim for the Bucks this offseason, but the Jefferson jettison just trumps anything else the Bucks managed to get done after the fact.